Family Ties
by Pffsh
Summary: Rated R for some use of obscene language. Neo discovers that his long lost brother isn't lost, and that his arch-enemy isn't completely destroyed.
1. Close Encounters of the Agent Kind

"MORPHEUS!" shouted Tank. "I'll be there in a moment!" Morpheus called back. After a few minutes of waiting, Tank banged his fist on the console and exclaimed impatiently, "Damn! What the fuck's is taking him so long?!"

Just then, someone leapt down from the hole above and didn't even bother using the ladder. "Here I am," he said. "Morpheus…" Tank said, "What took you so long?" "Nothing, I was just having a discussion with Neo and Trinity." Tank snickered. "Enough of that. I'm not telling you any more than you should know," said Morpheus, looking quite uncomfortable. He snickered again. Feeling her should change the subject, Morpheus asked, "Now, what was it you wanted to tell me?"

This time, Tank was furious. "There was trouble at Edison Street and what were you doing?! Talking about love with Trin and Neo! Geez! Three Agents were spotted near a shopping center and seconds later, it blew up. Of course, no one saw them, but the Matrix Code never lies. And guess what? They're blaming 'the great terrorist' who calls himself Morpheus for the loss of that building! We could've stopped them, Morph!" said Tank.

"Look Tank, I don't… hey, how did you find out what I was talking about?" asked Morpheus.

"Ohh, that. Nothing's a secret around here. Trackball the big blabbermouth took care of that. He's the one who told me you're going to be the best man at Trin and Neo's wedding. So I assume whatever you're talking to them about are about their 'never-ending' romance," said Tank, smirking like he's the King of the World.

"Tank… Tank, I'm so sorry. I'll send Neo to eliminate them the next time we see them. I'm really, really sorry for putting social activities above our top priority. And plus, I'm the leader on this ship, aren't I? Now, Tank, be a good lookout and scan for any Agent activity in the Matrix," said Morpheus, smiling and slapping Tank on the back, "And I'll get Neo to standby, in case he needs to plug-in any time soon.

"Sure thing, bossman. I'm sorry too, for shouting at you. Anyone can make a mistake. That's what makes us humans special compared to the machines. No one is perfect. I believe even the Agents make mistakes. Take Smith for example. He had a chance to kill Neo but he waited. He waited for the train to come so his ego would be boosted. He met his demise because of it," said Tank. He added, "Gee, do we have nothing moreto do here than talking…?" He looked up to see that no one's there. "Damn…" he cursed.

Neo rushed in. "Shit! Three Agents… seen at the place… Smith exploded," he said, panting. Obviously he ran a long way. "Plug me… in… now!" he said hysterically. "Okie dokie. Didja get your pants on too tight?" Tank asked, punching in some commands on the console. Neo sat on the ratty old chair and lied back, while Tank jabbed the sharp needle-like plug into the back of his head.

He appeared in a phone booth. Immediately, three Agents rush toward him. All three are new faces to Neo. New knowledge filled his mind. He didn't know how, but everything known about those three are in his mind.

The Command Unit

Agent Blackwell

Created after Smith turned traitor. Activated on 08.11.2308

The Strategic Unit 

Agent Johnson

Replacement of the coward Brown. Activated on 08.11.2308

The Combat Unit

Agent Thompson

Replacement of the coward Jones. Activated on 08.11.2308

New snapped his head toward the Agents, his gaze glued on them. He tensed up his muscles, then calmly shifted into a defensive posture. The trio was about to shoot him, when all of a sudden, a silhouetted figure walked in their direction. Neo sensed something very familiar about that figure.

The Agents fired at it but it soon disappeared again. Neo directed three energy balls at them, then he ran… ran like no other can.


	2. Revelations

"I'm telling you, Morpheus! I saw a shadow and the only thought that sprang into my mind when I studied him was… Smith," shouted Neo, half-pleading. "But it doesn't make any sense! You said the Agents tried to kill him… they were shooting at one of their own kind!" Morpheus insisted. "I think I can explain that. When I accessed the new leader Agent Blackwell's information database, it said that he was created after Smith "BETRAYED" them. I'm guessing that whatever I did last time didn't kill Smith, but severed his connection with the Mainframe and the rest of the Agents," Neo said.

Morpheus put his hand on his chin, thinking. "We've got to help him," he said, while Neo gaped at him.

"What?! Help that maniac? He tried to kill me once, remember? Heck, not once… a lotta times! And he escaped the Agents! He must have some deadly powers left!" shouted Neo frantically.

"No, Neo. Compassion. That's what humans have and machines don't. Maybe Smith will contribute some information regarding how to shut down the Matrix. After all, he's not in it anymore. He will be a worthy ally if his powers are still working," explained Morpheus.

Neo walked through the streets in the Matrix. "If I didn't know better, Smith was trying to kill me," he thought. But then a nagging voice at the back of his head replied, "He wasn't carrying a gun, was he? He served as cannon fodder to save you. Couldn't you just be thankful for a change?"

Three Agents in the distance are pushing their way through a crowd. Neo charged and fired several energy balls at them. Smith appeared beside him. "… Smith…!" exclaimed Neo. "N-Neo…" Smith offered Neo a hand. Neo shook it. "Whatever happened to Mister Anderson…?" asked Neo, sarcastically. "What happened to you…? Did my infiltration into your host do serious damage to your software?" asked Neo, this time, with sympathy.

"My left eye is damaged," he said, indicating the single lens in his left eye, with a golden chain attached to it. "And a permanent scar on my left cheek. I had it sewed, " answered Smith. "I meant… what happened to you?! Mentally. You've changed… a lot. Agents are shooting at you, you called me Neo, and you are… polite!" said Neo.

Smith shook his head and looked down. He replied solemnly, "That… by melding your human and my program form together, you triggered my dormant human cells. I am but a human again. When I regained this form, I regain all my past knowledge and the ones when I was Smith. Neo, do you remember Robert?"

Neo swallowed hard. "Y-yea… he disappeared right after he told me he found out what the Matrix is. He said he had to go on a very important mission and promised that he would tell me all about it when all of this is over. He never returned after that. How did you know about him?" said Neo, sadly. "I… ahhh!" Smith screamed, shot in the shoulder. "Eat this," said Neo, handing him a red pill. He swallowed it and then was carried to an old abandoned building, where Neo told him to take refuge whenever he was hurt. "It's protected by an anti-Agent energy shield," said Neo.

Morpheus was eager to unplug Smith. "Sit on this chair," said Morpheus, ushering Smith to the ratty old chair. Smith sat down obediently, not struggling. Tank flipped a few switches and tapped some buttons on the console, then Smith dematerialized.

Smith awoke on an examining table with millions of needles sticking out of his body. "What happened?" he asked Neo who was monitoring his status. "Oh, you're awake. Your muscles have atrophied and I'm rebuilding them."

"Neo… on May 16 1995 Matrix Time, Robert went on a quest to exit the Matrix destroy it. Exactly one month later, June 15 1995, he was turned into an Agent, together with his colleagues, James Robinson and Charles Fox.

"So… so you mean Robbie switched his allegiance?"

"No. I… am… Zero."


End file.
